1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigeration and, more particularly, to icemakers having water circulation and drainage systems for producing clear ice pieces.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, ice pieces produced with standard icemakers tend to include air bubbles or other imperfections that lend a cloudy or impure appearance to the ice. Therefore, there has been an interest in constructing icemakers which produce clear ice pieces. One approach to preventing the formation of cloudy ice is to agitate or move water in an ice forming cavity during the freezing process. In such a process water may collect at various points within or surrounding the icemaker, such as in the ice collection bin, ice forming chamber, or within a liner of the freezer. Drain lines are often implemented for draining such collected water. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,062,936 teaches an ice making method wherein water used for ice formation is collected in a well having an overflow port. Both water drained from the overflow port and water within an ice bin are drained through a common drain pipe. However, water may also collect within the cabinet or liner within which the icemaker is contained. If no outlet port or draining mechanism is provided for draining the liner, undesirable consequences may result. In any case, for these and other reasons, there is considered to exist a need in the art for an ice water circulation and drainage system that provides drainage for all areas of the overall icemaker system.